Ghosts
by ebineez01
Summary: An SG-1 mission brings back a ghost from Jack's past. A self inflicted challenge from TamaraJagellovsk asking for a story about Jacks black-ops days.


A/N

So this is something different for me. I asked TamaraJagellovsk for a challenge of something she'd like to read and she asked for something about Jacks black-ops days involving Teal'c and so here it is. Oh and she also beta-d it for me too :-)

Speech in italics is in another language. Serbian as it turns out :-)

I don't know much about Cold War politics, countries etc. so if I get some stuff wrong please go easy on me.

As always I own nothing to do with SG-1.

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Jack stared at the woman who had tried to help them. Her lifeless body slack, a parody of the vibrant person she had been, would still be if it weren't for them. His heart raced, each shallow breath he sucked in seemed to stab at his chest.

"O'Neill," Teal'c said quietly. When the other man didn't respond, the big Jaffa laid a hand gently on his shoulder.

Jack started when he felt a hand touch him. He swung away from the woman, walked past Teal'c and back towards the gate. "C'mon," he barked. "Let's get the hell outta here."

xxxx

Teal'c opened his eyes and looked up from his position on the floor of his room, sensing someone watching him though he hadn't heard his door open. "O'Neill..."

"Hey T," Jack said as he came further into Teal'c's room closing the door behind him. "You mind if I..." he gestured to the floor in front of his friend.

Teal'c inclined his head to indicate his assent.

When Jack was situated he finally looked back to his friend. "Sorry if I interrupted your kelno'reem."

"You did not," Teal'c lied. He did not like to lie but he knew O'Neill would leave if he told him otherwise. He waited patiently for him to continue.

"She reminded me of someone," Jack said suddenly without preamble. "From a long time ago..."

xxxxxxxxxx

Jack hit the deck covering his head as a mortar landed feet away throwing up chunks of rock and dirt. He quickly glanced around looking for his team mates. They'd already lost Cousins...an ambush as soon as they'd entered the village. Clearly their informant wasn't as loyal to the cause as they thought. He swore when his eyes found Davies. He landed on his knees next to the unconscious Lieutenant feeling for a pulse as his gaze quickly assessed the young man's injuries. Feeling a faint pulse Jack set about getting something to pack around what was left of the man's thigh, trying to stem the bleeding from the now severed limb. Suddenly he felt a hand grip his arm and he looked into the terrified eyes of his friend.

"Major?" Davies pleaded. "What's goin on?"

"You're okay...you're gonna be okay," Jack lied knowing there was no way he could stop the bleeding...

Two days later Jack was alone, lying jammed between large rocks on a mountainside bleeding from a wound in his leg. The day before, his CO Lieutenant Colonel Dave Anders had died instantly from a shot to the head. Jack checked the body, already knowing he was checking a corpse. He'd made that shot too many times himself to ever think otherwise. A piece of metal travelling at hundreds of miles an hour entering that soft spot right at the base of a man's skull...though he guessed this was a lucky shot on the part of the sniper and not skill. Then he felt searing hot pain in the meat of his left thigh before he even heard the shot...

He didn't remember closing his eyes let alone falling asleep, but he must have...movement very close by causing him to wake. He slowly opened his eyes to see a boy, nine or ten years old staring at him. Jack moved his hand to grasp the handle of his knife as he watched the kid, noting for the first time he was breathing hard, his eyes wide.

 _"American?"_ the boy asked.

Jack took a moment before he nodded his head hoping like hell he wasn't making a colossal mistake. His fist tightened on his knife when he heard shouting, the boys eyes flicking over the rocks behind him then back. Then the boy was up and moving towards him. Jack breathed out a sigh of relief when the kid moved to a small scrubby tree next to him, glad for now that he wouldn't be forced to do the unthinkable.

 _"Here,"_ the boy said as he pulled the small tree aside revealing an even smaller opening in the rock at his back. _"You must get inside."_

 _"I won't fit,"_ Jack replied in halting Serbian.

 _"You must,"_ the boy replied urgently. _"I will help you...I will not give you away..."_

Jacks eyes flicked between the boy and the hole and he started to move when he heard the voices getting closer. With the kids' help he finally managed to get himself wedged into the small space his head near the opening, no small amount of pain being involved as his injured leg scraped along the rough ceiling of the small cave.

 _"Stay quiet and I will draw them away,"_ the boy whispered as he started to move the shrub back into place.

Jack had heard the shouts of the men as they got closer. He only caught a few words but he knew they were after the kid and not for any good reason.

 _"What will they do to you?"_ he asked.

 _"They will beat me."_

Jack grabbed onto the kids wrist. _"I can't let you do it."_ He was taken back when the boy actually smiled at that.

 _"I've had worse than they will do,"_ he answered. Then the smile vanished and he was deadly serious. _"You...they will torture to death...slowly..."_

And Jack could see it in his eyes that he was speaking from experience. He dropped his hand and let the boy replace the shrub, wincing when he heard the men shout out that they'd seen him.

What must have been hours later, rustling from outside the cave woke him again and he silently berated himself that he'd fallen asleep. Again!

 _"Hello, American...are you there?"_

Jack frowned at the soft female voice he heard.

 _"I am going to move the bush...please, do not shoot me..."_

 _"Who are you?"_ Jack demanded, knowing if she was going to move the bush anyway he was already given away.

 _"Aryanna,"_ she replied. _"My son was the one who helped you before. He told me where to find you. We only want to help."_

 _"Who else is with you?"_

 _"Only my sister."_

 _"Okay, move the tree,"_ Jack agreed, his M16 trained on the opening.

Aryanna moved the tree and sat back on her heels regarding the dirt covered man jammed into her sons hiding place.

 _"Why do you want to help me?"_

 _"Those men, the ones who were chasing Rab, they are not our men, we do not want them here. They killed my husband in front of his son..."_

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend huh?" Jack mumbled in English. At the woman's frown he repeated it as best he could in Serb.

 _"If that means we will do anything to hurt them, to hinder them, then yes..."_

Jack took a breath then motioned with his gun. _"Move back."_ When the women had moved back Jack braced his feet and quickly pushed himself a foot out of the cave, his weapon drawn. After making sure they were indeed alone he dropped his weapon onto his chest letting them help him out of the cave and onto his feet. When they were up and he was braced between the two women he turned to the one who was the boys...Rabs...mother.

 _"How is he? Your son?"_

She cocked her head at him before she nodded. _"He is well. A few cuts, a few bruises, but he will be fine."_

 _"I'm sorry,"_ Jack said with a grimace.

 _"He is strong,"_ she replied. Then she squeezed his arm lightly. _"He did the right thing helping you, do not feel bad."_

"That's easy for you to say," Jack grumbled as they moved off.

xxxxxxxxx

Jack and Aryanna looked up as Rab burst through the front door.

 _"Mother, he has to go...Jack,"_ he said breathlessly turning to him. _"They know you are in one of the four villages...they are looking for you..."_

 _"Where are they?"_ his mother asked. She listened as her son spoke and shook her head. _"They will not be here so soon."_ Then she moved over to Jack. _"You are not ready, you cannot leave yet."_

Jack shook his head. _"I'll be okay. Thanks to you and Rab I'm well enough to make it."_ He looked down when her hand touched his forearm.

 _"Stay tonight,"_ she implored. _"We are not prepared for you to go now. There is time before they will get to this village if they have started looking in the one Rab says they are in. Stay...and go tomorrow night."_

Against his better judgement Jack nodded his assent and went back to his dinner.

At Aryanna's insistence Jack had been using Rabs room while the boy had slept on the small couch in what passed for the living room. He hadn't wanted to displace the boy but he hadn't really been in any shape to argue when Aryanna and her sister had first brought him back to her house. Now Jack laid back on Rabs bed and let out a heavy sigh. Two weeks he had been here, Aryanna and her son helping him heal, hiding him. He should go. He should go now and he knew it. But there was something in her eyes as she looked at him tonight...he couldn't deny her request for him to stay one more day. He looked up when the door opened, already half way off the bed, ready to move out if it turned out the militia were closer than Aryanna had thought. When she closed the door behind her and moved towards him he tensed for a whole different reason.

He had become increasingly aware of Aryanna...as something more than his saviour...over the last week. He hadn't tried hard enough to stop the glances, his eyes travelling over her beautiful face, so dark and weary. And her body...it was difficult to tell what lay beneath the layers of clothing the women wore here, but that hadn't stopped his damned imagination. Then a few nights ago he had been walking past her room, the door slightly ajar, glancing in when he had no right to. They didn't have running water here, not anymore, so bathing usually came down to washing from a basin, the water having been heated on the old stove, just like in the old days he guessed. He paused by the door, mesmerised by her movements. He watched as she brought the wash cloth to her throat, her head back, her eyes closed. His eyes followed the small rivulets of water as they ran down over her chest making the fabric of the thin white shift she wore almost see through. His tongue darted out to wet his lips as he imagined it dipping into the valley between her breasts to catch the water droplets that lingered there. When he looked back up her eyes were on his in the mirror and he froze for a moment before he blushed hotly and moved along the short hallway shutting himself in Rabs room. She was desperate for these guerrillas to be gone from her home, for her child to have a better life which she believed she was assisting with by helping him and he...he repaid her kindness by spying on her as she bathed, by thinking things he had no right thinking. And he hated himself for it. Not to mention the fact that he was married and had a baby son of his own.

He was hyper aware of her presence as he felt the small bed dip when she sat down beside him. _"Jack,"_ she whispered, and then her small roughened hand was on his cheek turning his head towards her. He released a shaky breath, his eyes drawn to her full lips. When those lips touched his he squeezed his eyes tightly shut and mustered all the strength he could to gently push her away.

Her eyes searched his for a moment before she moved further away from him pulling her robe more tightly around herself.

And god damn it! How in hell was it fair to feel so bad while trying to do the right thing!? He reached out and took her hands in his. When she didn't look at him he reached out to cup her cheek, his thumb stroking across her soft skin before he gently coaxed her to look up. He didn't think he had the words in her language to explain so he needed her to be looking at him when he tried.

 _"I'm sorry Aryanna...I can't...I want to,"_ he said, not knowing if he was making a mistake by admitting it. _"I really want to,"_ he murmured, his thumb stroking across her cheek again as she lent into his touch. _"I have a wife, a son..."_

Her hand came up to cover his and she smiled a sad smile as her thumb now stroked over the back of his hand. _"You are a good man Jack,"_ she said softly, happy for his wife that he was. Not so happy for herself.

Jack let out a short laugh, his eyes and his hand dropping to the bed. _"If I was a good man, I wouldn't kill for a living."_

She squeezed his other hand hard making him look back to her before she answered him. _"Do you enjoy what you do?"_

Startled by her question he thought about it before he answered her. He loved the rush of being black-ops, of living by the seat of your pants, of being in danger of every day being your last. He knew that wasn't fair to his family but it was who he was. But the killing? No. He did not enjoy that. He shook his head. _"Not the killing, no I don't enjoy it."_

 _"Then you are an even better man that you do it even though you do not like it. You are a protector, you kill those who murder others, wolves who prey on those who are weaker."_

He nodded slightly, grateful for her words. Then his hand moved to tuck a strand of dark hair behind her ear, his fingers tracing around the shell of her ear, letting his thumb trail lightly, dangerously across her lips. _"And if I was a good man...I wouldn't be finding it so hard to say no..."_

She smiled that same sad smilie again as she looked at him reaching up to bring his hand back down to the bed between them. _"But you have, for the sake of your family. And I will respect that,"_ she said as she made to move from the bed.

Jack reached out and caught her hand stalling her departure, wondering how he was supposed to explain to her that he wanted her to stay with him tonight, but not _be_ with him. Considering every variation of the words 'sleep with me' in English also meant well, 'sleep with me', he really didn't know how to ask for what he wanted. And if he didn't know how to ask in English how the hell was he supposed to do it in Serbian!? He took a deep breath and tried his best.

 _"I know I said, no,"_ he started. _"But would you stay with me tonight?"_ At her frown he continued. _"To sleep, to have someone...close..."_ She smiled and he breathed out a sigh of relief when he realised she understood what he was asking.

 _"I too would like to have someone...close,"_ she said as she got up and shut off the light.

As he wrapped Aryanna in his arms he didn't feel guilty. He couldn't see how two people offering comfort to each other in the only form that was available to them both could be wrong.

They were still in that same position hours later when Rab wrapped on the door. _"Jack,"_ he called.

Jack and Aryanna woke at the pounding on the door, getting to his feet at the boys harried calling of his name, he opened the door and looked down at the scruffy boy he had come to think of as a second son. _"What is it?"_

Rab glanced past Jack to see his mother sitting on his bed and for a fleeting moment wished for a better life, one free of war, one where this man...Jack...could really be his father. But that was not, would never be his life and even at ten years old he knew he had no time for such fancy. _"They are here,"_ he breathed.

 _"So soon?"_ his mother said pushing past Jack.

Rab nodded. _"They have dragged the elder to the square, they say they know 'The American' is here..."_

Jacks eyes widened as Aryanna headed to the front door. He grabbed her and turned her back to him. _"What are you doing?"_ he demanded. _"You can't go out there."_

She shook her head. _"I must go out there...they will kill him..."_

 _"And what do you think they'll do to you!?"_ he growled.

She smiled at him. _"They are monsters, but they do not kill women so easily as men. I can get them to listen to me I am sure."_

Jack watched as she went out the door, helpless as she strode across the square towards where ten to twelve men had an elderly man on his knees in the mud. He heard shouts, them yelling for her to stop. Her arguing for the life of the old man. Them screaming that the only way the old man would live would be for her to 'give up the American assassin'. Then his mouth opened in a silent scream when one of the men stepped out from amongst the others, raised his sidearm, and shot her in the head.

Jacks hand was on the door when Rab grabbed him and hauled him backwards. He looked down at the kid, tears streaming down both their faces as he dropped to his knees and pulled the boy to him. After a moment he felt small hands pushing on his chest.

 _"You must go! Now!"_

Jack shook his head, still in shock. He could vaguely hear the murderer outside shouting something about 'this woman being an example'. _"I can't leave, not now..."_

 _"You must leave now!"_ Rab argued fiercely. _"Do not let my mothers sacrifice be for nothing Jack. You must go, you must live, and you must come back and kill every one of them."_

 _"I can't leave you,"_ Jack argued back. _"You have no one now."_

 _"I have my aunties, I still have family..."_

 _"Come with me,"_ Jack pleaded, though he knew the idea was an impossible one even as the words left his mouth. _"I'll take care of you."_

Fresh tears came to the boys eyes as he looked at the man on his knees in front of him. He had often wondered at the worth of his life, always coming to the conclusion that it couldn't be very much. But now, there was a man such as this who must think him worth something if he wanted to take care of him. No matter that he knew it could never be, Jacks words gave Rab something he had never had before in his short life. Pride...and hope...

 _"I cannot,"_ Rab said finally. _"This is my home, these are my people. Now go Jack, please go now."_

Jack hugged the boy to him and held on for a long moment before he let go and got to his feet putting on his gear, strapping on his weapons. _"Thank you Rab,"_ he said as he opened the back door. _"And I'm so sorry."_

Rab nodded. _"Make it worth it Jack,"_ he said as he stood straight and saluted the man in front of him.

Jack came to full attention and saluted one of the bravest soldiers he had ever had the honour of serving with.

xxxxxxxxxx

Jack had been silent for some time when Teal'c prompted him. "What happened?"

He looked up almost surprised to find Teal'c sitting there in front of him. He let out a deep breath. "It took a couple days, but I made it across the border and to a safe house in Hungary where I was extracted a few days later." He was quiet for a moment. "Thanks to Rab and Aryanna," he added quietly.

"And the boy?" Teal'c asked. "What became of him?"

More old feelings of guilt flooded Jack at the thought that he never went back, never found out what happened to Rab. Fifteen years ago there was nothing he could do about that. His government's agenda had changed and a repeat mission was never scheduled, Serbia having been declared an official 'no-go' zone. Jack was messed up for a while after that mission, not just because of what had happened with Aryanna and Rab, but because he had lost the rest of his unit over there for nothing as they never even got close to their target, their mission having been a setup by the Serbs to get their hands on American black-ops soldiers as a source of information and then later on as a bargaining tool. He snorted at that. _Boy_ _were they barking up the wrong tree with that one,_ he thought. Black-ops soldiers were the best in the world at resisting torture techniques, and since none of his black-ops missions had 'ever happened' there was no bargaining for prisoners when they didn't officially exist.

But there was no reason why he couldn't have tried to find out what happened to Rab in the years since the Cold War had finished, and he was ashamed now that he hadn't made it the priority it should have been.

Jack looked to his friend a determined glint in his eye. "I am truly ashamed to say that I never found that out Teal'c," he admitted. "But that's something that's going to change, right now," he said as he rose from the floor his knees complaining the whole way. Jack paused by the door looking back to his friend. "Thank you" he said.

Teal'c merely inclined his head and watched as his brother strode purposefully away.

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A/N

I hoped you liked it :-) lemme know what you thought


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